After 19 days Ian Wright walked out of the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! jungle and into Ant and Dec’s treetop lair, where he slipped straight back into the civilised society by downing a glass of champagne.
The camp experienced a lull in the immediate aftermath of James Haskell’s eviction, the jungle brothers and sisters unable to believe the rugby ace had been voted off.
James had been a big voice (and body) in the camp and several members of the group had begun to view his as an older brother/sister/viking who’d kicked the door in to gnaw Sunday roast leftovers.
Morale was low, almost as low as food supplies have been camp.
Over the course of the day, spirits were slowly lifted, especially after Roman and Kate’s stint as jungle DJs won their pals bacon, eggs, bread, sausages, and more for a proper breakfast.
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Tonight another big presence was evicted – one-time frontrunner Ian Wright, which came as a shock to the campmates.
In a tense head-to-head with other favourite Caitlyn Jenner, Ian was eventually named as the next celeb who won’t be King of the Jungle.
The goodbyes were meaningful and heartfelt, and Jacqueline Jossa could be heard questioning the result.
Soon Ian was reunited with Ant and Dec, but this time they weren’t about to plunge him into a flooded tunnel or ask him to drink blended penis.
Throughout the interview Ian spoke about the need to be positive and how he was working on himself.
“You need to be positive and I wasn’t positive enough in the end. My time has come and it’s been unbelievable.
When asked why he took part in the show, the former England striker said it was about finding a “new challenge” but what he found in the jungle wasn’t what he’d predicted.
“I needed a new challenge for myself and the challenge I got wasn’t what I was expecting. It was more a mental thing in the end. I found the mental side of me, I have a lot of work to do in the end.”
Thirst quenched, he spoke of the admiration he had for all those he had shared his journey with.
“I can’t express enough how great the people I was in there with were.”
When the presenters joked about him not being one to hold back, with Ian becoming known for expressing himself, he explained that he had to be himself for his – and perhaps everyone else’s – sakes.
“My wife said to me to be yourself. You have to be yourself. I’m not going to try and hide, because I would have been worse than that.”
When forced at the end of the interview to say who he would like to win, Ian deliberated and apparently struggled to name someone immediately.
However, he did settle on his choice of champion, and it’s a fellow south Londoner.
“I’d probably go with Jacqueline. From the start she’s been petrified and she’s blasted it.”
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! continues tomorrow on ITV on 9pm.